Hey Reddit!
I need to write a research paper for my Eng. 121 class on the American Civil War and Lincoln. I come to you looking for sources. What would be some great places to look for information? I don't know an awful lot about the conflict itself, except for what I've learned from History Channel Documentaries, so any info is good info. Are there any good podcasts, documentaries, books... My teacher has said she will accept any "reliable" source. When I inquired about the Lincoln movie that came out not too long ago with Daniel Day-Lewis, she said that was acceptable, so I wonder how useful that movie is (in terms of accuracy). Thanks a lot for the help!
Lincoln at Gettysburg by Garry Wills was pretty popular some time ago. I remember using it in highschool but I cant really remember if it was more history or english.
A friend of mine, a professor of American history and a Lincoln expert, said the only thing that really struck him wrong was when Lincoln struck his son during the "I want to enlist" scene. He said by all accounts Lincoln was extraordinarily loving and gentle with his children, and he doubted that he would have hit him. Then there is also the use of the term "sniper" when "sharpshooter" would have been appropriate for the time.
The rich tapestry of the movie was revealed to me when Lincoln said a throwaway line about "thus and thusly" - I don't remember it precisely, but it was a reference to the humor of Artemus Ward, often described as Lincoln's favorite comic. Lincoln reputedly read from Ward's famous publication, "His Book," at the beginning of cabinet meetings to lighten the mood. Ward was famous for his silly use of "thus and thusly" as a point of stage humor. Lincoln and his contemporaries would have understood the reference. The modern audience of the movie did not, but by inserting that small line, we see the depth of research and writing that went into the movie.